The relationship between specific aspects of the coach-athlete and athlete-athlete relationship on participation in competitive youth soccer was examined in the current study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent and combined effects from multiple social agents to examine whether age, gender, and competitive level moderate how status rank, achievement goal orientation, coaching behaviors, and friendship quality influence youth soccer participation. The design of the current study utilized quantitative and qualitative research methods. Four online questionnaires including: 1) an Individual Skills Rank Assessment, 2) Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2, 3) Leadership Scale for Sports, and 4) Sport Friendship Quality Scale, were completed by 172 youth participants. Sixteen youth soccer coaches completed the Status Rank Assessment online. Quantitative results revealed significant participation differences exist based upon the interaction among status rank, age, gender, competitive level, achievement goal orientation, coaching behavior and friendship quality, with gender and self-esteem enhancement representing the two strongest predictors in determining which athletes switched teams within the past 12 months. Interview data suggested youth soccer athletes' initial decision to play for specific teams is not based upon pre-existing friendships. They do, however, typically become friends with their teammates throughout the season, which makes individual experiences more enjoyable. Furthermore, the friendships formed with teammates are indirectly influenced by the motivational climate established by their coach through: 1) the achievement orientation emphasized, and 2) the coaching behaviors displayed. Additionally, participants discussed the following common themes: 1) Friendships Make Soccer More Fun but Are Not Necessary, 2) Girl Talk, 3) Just Want to Hang Out, 4) Confidence is Important, but Assumed, 5) Coach Knows Best, and 6) Play Your Best and Improve each Time.The relationship between specific aspects of the coach-athlete and athlete-athlete relationship on participation in competitive youth soccer was examined in the current study. The purpose of this study was to investigate the independent and combined effects from multiple social agents to examine whether age, gender, and competitive level moderate how status rank, achievement goal orientation, coaching behaviors, and friendship quality influence youth soccer participation. The design of the current study utilized quantitative and qualitative research methods. Four online questionnaires including: 1) an Individual Skills Rank Assessment, 2) Perceived Motivational Climate in Sport Questionnaire-2, 3) Leadership Scale for Sports, and 4) Sport Friendship Quality Scale, were completed by 172 youth participants. Sixteen youth soccer coaches completed the Status Rank Assessment online. Quantitative results revealed significant participation differences exist based upon the interaction among status rank, age, gender, competitive level, achievement goal orientation, coaching behavior and friendship quality, with gender and self-esteem enhancement representing the two strongest predictors in determining which athletes switched teams within the past 12 months. Interview data suggested youth soccer athletes' initial decision to play for specific teams is not based upon pre-existing friendships. They do, however, typically become friends with their teammates throughout the season, which makes individual experiences more enjoyable. Furthermore, the friendships formed with teammates are indirectly influenced by the motivational climate established by their coach through: 1) the achievement orientation emphasized, and 2) the coaching behaviors displayed. Additionally, participants discussed the following common themes: 1) Friendships Make Soccer More Fun but Are Not Necessary, 2) Girl Talk, 3) Just Want to Hang Out, 4) Confidence is Important, but Assumed, 5) Coach Knows Best, and 6) Play Your Best and Improve each Time. / Kinesiology

Fotbollsverksamheten präglar många flickors vardag och är den största ungdomsverksamheten i svensk idrott. Det råder inga tveksamheter om att idrott innebär flera fördelar för människors psykiska och fysiska välbefinnande. Fotbollen är en arena där flickors självförtroende kan främjas och stärkas. Samtidigt faller många idrottsutövare offer för den robusta individualismen med strävan efter idrottslig framgång. Tävlingsmomentets påverkan för barn och ungdomars psykiska hälsa är viktigt att belysa och diskutera för att fotbollen ska kunna verka som en hälsofrämjande arena. Syftet med studien var att undersöka, utifrån flickors egna upplevelser, hur självförtroende konstrueras inom flickfotbollen. Metoden för insamling av det empiriska materialet var en intervjustudie i form av sex fokusgruppsintervjuer och två individuella intervjuer, vilket utgick från en semistrukturerad intervjuguide. Resultatet, erhållet genom kvalitativ innehållsanalys, visade att flickor har olika avsikter med sin fotboll och lever i skilda idrottsvärldar. Flickfotbollen kunde inte tillgodose behoven hos flickor som inte ville satsa på sin fotboll. Flickors självförtroende konstruerades i interaktion med omgivningen och dess respons på flickors prestationer på fotbollsplanen. I takt med att flickfotbollen blev mer tävlingsinriktad belystes vikten av att vara dukig, vilket bidrog till att verksamheten hämmade flickor som inte satsade på sin fotboll från ett psykiskt välmående i form av ett sänkt självförtroende. Ur en folkhälsopedagogisk syn kan slutsatsen dras att flickfotbollen ur ett långsiktigt perspektiv behöver finna nya synsätt för att inte frånta flickor rätten till psykiskt välbefinnande och fysisk aktivitet inom verksamheten. / Football organization characterizes many girls living and is the largest youth sport activity in Sweden. There is no doubt about that sport offers several benefits to human mental and physical wellbeing. Football is an arena where girls’ self-confidence can be promoted and strengthened. In the same time many athletes become victims to the rugged individualism of the pursuit of sporting success. The competition of sports impact of child and adolescent mental health is important to highlight and discuss in football to operate as a health promotion arena. The purpose of this study was to investigate, based on girls 'own experiences, how selfconfident are constructed in the girls' football. The method for collecting the empirical material was an interview in the form of six focus group interviews and two individual interviews, which were based on a semi-structured interview guide. The result, based on qualitative content analysis, showed that girls have different intentions with their football and live in different sporting worlds. Girl's football could not meet the needs of girls who would not venture on its football. Girls self-confidence is constructed in interaction with the environment and it responses to the girls' accomplishments on the football field. Girls' football become more competitive and highlighted the importance of being good. This contributed that the activity inhibited the girls who not venture for their football from a mental health in the form of a lowered self-confidence. From a health promotion and education view, the conclusion was that girls' football in the long term need to find new approaches in order not to deprive the girls the right to mental health and physical activity within the business.